


A Thief's Life

by Lulipop



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-03 09:36:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13338486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lulipop/pseuds/Lulipop
Summary: His life was shit, but there were good moments. It really wouldn't be so bad to remember the good. Would it?





	1. Life Begins

  The air was crisp that day. Snow began to stick to the dying grass blades; signifying the end of a season. On this cold winter day, new life was born.

 

  It was born in a back alley hutch to a young prostitute. She had refused to lose this life. It was hers, and she would cherish it. The life was a boy. His cheeks were lightly speckled and his eyes were a jade green. He was beautiful and he was hers.

 

  The months were hard. He screamed so loud and she barely had enough food to feed him. She cried and begged on the streets for anyone to have mercy on her. None had mercy for a young starving mother. They were in war and they had their own families to feed.

  
   Days turned to weeks and now, not only was she starving, but so was her child. If she didn't do something he would die. She begged for anyone at all to take her child and save him. One man took pity on her and brought her into his home. She could stay if she were to act as a housemaid for his ailing wife. She agreed. There she would stay until her little boy was four years old. At that point, rumors began to spread about her child and his bright, orange-sunset locks. If those rumors reached that man’s ears her boy would be lost. So, she took him and fled. She went far away hoping that no one would find them.

  
***

  
   It was summer. The war still raged, but it was far away. The birth of the King's second child was celebrated throughout the kingdom. It was a boy; a Prince after all. Of course the young boy playing in the fields had no idea or care for what that meant. He took a stick and swung it violently at the swaying horsetails. Several popped a part; this gained a giggle from the small boy. So, he swung again. This time twice as many popped a part. He then ran through the horsetails swinging back and forth at them until he created a path to edge of the woods. He stared into the darkness and crept closer to it. It was dark and foreboding without his mother. All manner of eyes were watching him. Waiting for him to enter.

  
  “Gaius, come in now! It's time for supper!” a sweet motherly voice called out from the nearby cottage. His head whipped around and he ran away from the mystery toward the known. This place was were he and his mother lived now. It was shabby and worn down, obviously abandoned when the war was on their soil. No one had come back for it and so there they stayed. It was safer than the capitol, his mother would say. He of course did not know what that meant, but as long as he had food and things to do, he was content.

  
  “Were you having fun just now?” she asked him. He nodded vigorously and tugged on her skirt. She smiled at him. Then taking his hand, she brought him inside.

  
  The days passed like this. He would play and she would work. The two of them made a garden that summer, and they had more than enough food for the two of them. She taught him which plants he could eat and which were off limits. Some days they would wander into the woods to see the wildlife. On these days she would specifically find plants that were sweet to taste. One in particular was Gaius' favorite and that was honeysuckle. Whenever they came across it; his eyes would light up like little stars and she would laugh and pluck a branch for him.

  
  It was a peaceful time, but that peace soon came to an end. They came back to the cottage one day to see it was ransacked. It seemed that that man had finally caught wind of her boy's existence. She began packing everything they had left. They needed to go far away, very far away.

  
  “Mommy?”

  
  “Yes, sweetheart?” she answered the little boy sitting on the bed who was kicking his legs back and forth.

  
  “Mommy, do we have to leave?” his eyes were the size of saucers and his bright orange hair swished back in forth to the rhythm of his kicking legs.

  
  “Yes, it isn't safe here anymore, but I know somewhere where you'll be safe,” she smiled over to him. She slung the bag of their belongings over her shoulder and headed over to him. She knew this answer was no longer enough for him. He was five years old now. She knelt down and placed her hands on his knees causing him to stop kicking. She took a deep breath, “You see. Your father didn't know you existed, but now he does. He will not be kind to you. You can never ever let him find you. Do you understand?”

  
  The young boy was confused, but nodded to her, “Okay, I understand.”

  
  “Good,” she stood up and reached out her hand to him, “Are you ready to go?”

  
  He jumped off the bed and took her hand. Her hand enveloped his and it felt safe and warm. They walked out that door hand in hand; never to return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Any feedback would be amazing! The plan is to tell Gaius' whole life story including his life with the shepherds. There will be a lot of headcanons. Hopefully, I'll be able to post the next chapter soon! 
> 
> Edit: I just realized this chapter is criminally short. I promise the next chapter will be much longer!


	2. Life on the Border

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I want to do what you’re doing. I wanna make swords too,” Gaius’ eyes sparkled staring straight at the fiery hot blade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I somehow found time to write chapter 2! I want to warn you, the next update will take a lot longer, because of school. 
> 
> Also this chapter is around 2000 words. I plan to keep all the chapters at around 2000 words or more. Please let me know what you think in the comments if you can spare the time. :)

  His mother brought him to a small village on the outskirts of Ylisse. It was right on the Plegian border, which meant that the small town was constantly attacked by thieves jumping the border. The village people were strong though and eventually those thieves learned their lesson.

  Shortly after finding this place his mother fell ill. They stayed in the home of a kind older man. He had the biggest, fluffiest, darkest beard Gaius had ever seen. This man was a blacksmith named Emerson Thornmier. He had taught his sons the trade, but those boys were taken from him. They perished in Plegia. He hated the king and all lords for that matter.

  “The rich have everything and lose nothing,” he said whilst swinging down his hammer on the flaming iron, “Yet they who have little, even that small crumb was taken from them.”

  “What do you mean, Mister Emer?” Gaius’ bright eyes peered at him watching the swing of the hammer from the small stool he was forced to sit on. If he got to close the sparks would hit him.

  “Hm?” Emerson swung down the hammer with a clang. The sound reverberated through the room and he stopped, “What I mean my boy is those with fortune stay fortunate. You’ve seen them. They live in their big fancy houses and ride on their white steads and come here demanding weapons and armor.” He wiped off his hands and started looking for another tool to hold the blade steady.

  “You mean like the knights that came here once?” Gaius leaned sideways on his chair watching the other man hunt around the room.

  “Sort of. Those boys aren’t as well off, but they’re no better than them,” Emerson bent over to look under a table, hurting his back in the process, “Damn it all! Where is that stupid thing?”

  “Hmm…,” Gaius thought for a moment. He spotted the clasp behind him halfway under a cabinet. He pulled it out and trotted over to Emerson. He held out the object to the older man, “How are they no better?”

  “Oh, thank you,” Emerson took the tool from him and walked back over to the hot blade. Gaius was right on his heel, “You’re too young right now, my boy. You’ll understand the world better when you’re older.”

  “Why can’t you tell me now?”

  “Because you won’t make sense of it. Now go sit down before you catch fire.”

  Gaius headed back to his stool across the room. He then stopped and turned, “Can I learn how to do that?”

  “Do what?” the man looked up from his work.

  “What you’re doing. I wanna make swords too,” Gaius’ eyes sparkled staring straight at the fiery hot blade.

  Emerson grinned from ear to ear, “What do you think you’re doing now? When you watch you learn.”

  Gaius didn’t like this and pouted. That wasn’t what he meant.

  “How’s this,” Emerson walked over and bent down to Gaius’ height, “When you’re a bit older I’ll take you on as my apprentice. I haven’t had anyone to teach in a while.”

  The little boy’s face lit up. He nodded vigorously and the man laughed a loud belly laugh. Gaius went back to watch from his stool and Emerson continued his work. The clang of the hammer swinging down on the bare blade was the only sound to be heard.

 

  After the work was done Emerson set off to to get food in the market to make dinner and Gaius ran from the shop and home to his mother to tell her the news. He would learn to be a blacksmith. He ran down the pathways to the small house they were staying in with Mister Emerson.

  His little feet pounded against the floors in the small house and he rushed to her room. He flung the door wide open and triumphantly shouted, “I’M GOING TO BE A BLACKSMITH!”

  His mother didn’t stir. So, he walked in, “Momma! I’m gonna be a blacksmith like mister Emer! Are you proud of me?”

  He walked up beside the bed, but she still would not wake. She had trouble waking sometimes. He reached out and started to shake her, “Momma! Momma! Momma!”

  She wouldn’t wake and his little hand brushed up against her skin. It was cold. It was as if his body knew something was wrong and tears began to form in his eyes. They welled up and spilled over onto his face.

  “momma…?”

  Her eyes then finally opened slowly to see her teary eyed boy. She stretched out her hand to wipe away his tears, “Why are you crying, sweetheart?”

  Relief washed over the little boy and he flung himself on her. She stroked his hair and smiled softly, “Look at me.”

  Gaius looked up into his mother’s eyes tears still streaming down his face, “Momma, you’re not leaving right? The other kids say you’re going to disappear.”

  “I won’t disappear. Now, did you say you were going to be a blacksmith?” her voice was soft and quiet.

  “YEA! I’m going to be the best!” his face turned to a wide grin.  
 

  “I’m sure you will,” she stroked his hair. Her hand was shakey, “I’m so proud of you. Never forget that okay?”

  “Okay!”

 

***

 

  As the months became milder she seemed to be getting healthier. She could now sit up and even go on short walks with Gaius in the village.

  They would go to the fields and Gaius would play with the other village boys, while she would sit and watch from under a tree. Gaius was so young and full of life. He’d get knocked over and he’d pop back up again like a weed and chase whichever boy had toppled him.

  At home the three of them were like a little family. They would eat, talk, laugh and sometimes if the time was right they would play games and tell stories. Emerson told the best stories. They were about war heroes and ancient gods and more importantly the weapons those characters wielded.

  “One day I want to make a weapon so awesome that a god would be like ‘yea that weapon’s awesome. I want to use it’,” Gaius exclaimed one night after one of Emerson’s tales.

  Emerson laughed, “One day my boy. One day.”

  “Oh, momma, I helped make a knife today!”

  “Did you now?” she smiled softly.

  “He did,” Emerson replied both proud and concerned. Even though he had told Gaius to wait a few years; he had caved and started teaching the boy bit by bit.

  “I’m so proud of you,” her smile was huge and Gaius ran up and hugged her. A hug, which she received gratefully.

  The days continued to pass in this way. It was a pleasant time. Then the heat of the Plegian summer scorched the land. They were still in Ylisse, but at times the sands would blow over and the heat would be unbearable. This day Gaius really wanted to show his mother a fort he had built with his friends. She went and she told him the fort was grand. All the boys were proud to get such praise. She went to sit in the shade and watch them play as she always did. However, this time she collapsed.

  The boys heard the thud and Gaius turned to see his mother on the ground. He shouted, “Momma!”

  “I’m okay, sweethear-” she then passed out.

  The other boys ran for help and Gaius sat there by his mother. His voice was weak and he just stared at her for a minute. He flung himself on her and frantically called out to her.

 

  Emerson ran all the way there with the village chief, the doctor and a wandering cleric, who had just came into town that morning.

  “This is not good we need to bring her somewhere out of the sun first and foremost,” the mysterious woman said. Emerson picked up Gaius’ mother and they all ran back to the house. Gaius sat there stunned and the other three boys watched.

  “Hey are you okay?” the quietest of Gaius’ friends asked. His name was Hanson and he was Gaius’ best friend, “Maybe you should go home too?”

  Gaius looked up at his friends and dried his tears, “Yea, bye.” Gaius then ran toward his home.

  “Bye…,” Hanson said quietly and waved. The other two started roughhousing again.

  One of them stopped, “Hey, Han, think his mom’s gonna die?” He didn’t say this in a cruel way like you would expect. He was concerned. His name was Bode. As the oldest he was kind of the leader of the boys. Though, Hanson was the most intuitive.

  “You’re guards down!” the other boy shouted. He was the youngest of the three. His name was Rutger and he usually used his fists before his brains. It was obvious what kind of man he would become.

  Bode easily stopped him, “Knock it off for a second, Rut.”

  Rut pouted. Hanson looked back at them, “I don’t know. If she does though. I hope Gaius will be okay.”

  “Hey, then he can share my mom! Then we can be brothers!” Rutger shouted triumphantly as if he had solved all their problems. The older two boys punched him in the head.

 

***

 

Gaius ran home. The next few days he didn’t leave the house. He stayed by his mother’s side. The cleric did all she could and one day she took the boy aside.

  “Listen, little one, this is of utmost importance,” she looked at him with her burning jade eyes. She was a beautiful woman. Her hair was a seafoam green that tumbled down her back in long waves. Her skin was dark from the summer sun and covered in freckles much like his own. Unlike usual clerics she wore dark clothes, which were adorned with symbols shaped like bright colored eyes. It was a fact to all those in the village, that this woman was Plegian. There were rumors going around of the Plegian cleric healing both armies and villagers on either side during the war. Here she was still healing as that was her calling.

  Gaius looked in the woman’s eyes, “Okay.”

  “Your mother does not have much longer,” there was a twinge of sadness in her voice.

  Gaius’ eyebrows furrowed, “What do you mean?”

  She had to keep herself from tears, “Sweet child, listen. If you ever find yourself in need of help I will gladly shelter you. There are great and dangerous forces after you.”

  “Great and dangerous?”

  “Yes, if you ever need my help. Call for me with this spell. Even if I am gone this will save you,” she placed a small locket in his hand, “Wear this and never lose it.”

  After that, the Plegian healer left.

  More time passed and one day when Gaius had entered his mother’s room. She called him to herself. She looked up at Gaius and stroked his face when he came close, “I love you so much. Promise me you’ll stay safe, my little honeysuckle.”

  Gaius started crying, “Momma, I promise and you’ll feel better and we’ll stay safe together!”

  For the first time tears streamed down his mother’s face, “I’m sorry. I can’t promise that. I’m sorry sweetie. I’m sorry. I love you. Never forget that. I love you more than anything.”

  Gaius started sobbing, “I love you too! I love you!”

  She smiled up at her son and then her hand fell from his face. Gaius threw himself on her and cried.

 

  Emerson came back from his shop to hear the muffled sobbing coming from the guest room. He rushed to the doorway and saw the distraught little boy holding his mother’s hand. It was a harsh realization. His eyes widened and softened. He had known she would not make it much longer. A few day prior she had asked him to take care of her son when she died. They both knew, but the boy was not ready for such a loss.

  “Momma won’t wake up…” the boy’s eyes were filled with tears.

  With nothing left to do Emerson grabbed the boy and held him close. He called in the village elder and a ceremony was held that evening for her. There was nothing any of them could have done.

  Gaius didn’t understand. They dressed her with pretty clothes and lowered her into the dirt. He rushed toward them screaming, “You can’t do that! That’s my momma! She’s going to wake up!”

  The other villagers looked on the boy with pity and some even cried for him. Emerson rushed up to the shocked boy and pulled him into his arms, “I’m sorry, my boy, but she won’t wake this time.”

  “She won’t wake…?”

  “No.”

  “Never again?”

  “Never.”

  That little piece of reality sunk in and the boy sobbed into the man’s shoulder. Emerson picked him up and started to head back.

 

***

 

  The next few weeks were a struggle. Gaius would barely eat causing the boy to become severely ill more than once. Emerson had to force the boy to eat, which was no easy feat. He would struggle and scream and cry. The villagers would whisper and say how sorry they felt for Thornmier. One day he heard this whilst getting food for dinner, “What did you say?”

  “Hm? I said I felt bad for you. Having to take care of such a problem child. It must be awful,” the villager said. He sounded concerned, but it was obviously a farce.

  Emerson’s eyebrow twitched as he looked up at the other man, “Ah… I thought you said that,” his hand flung out and grabbed the other villager’s shirt. He shouted at the younger man’s face, “That boy lost everything! The only family he had left died and he watched her die and you think he’d just be okay after that!? If there’s anyone to feel bad for it’s that boy.”

  The young man’s face recoiled at the words and spit being thrown in his direction, “Fine! You want to give up the rest of your life taking care of a kid like that then have fun with that!”

  Emerson was about to punch him, but a crowd started to collect around them. They had been loud. He glared at the lad and shoved him so hard that the young man fell over. He then left the market and headed home.

 

  “Gaius?” he called into the dreary house. There was no answer. He walked into the living area and found the boy curled up in the corner of the room. He crouched down in front of Gaius and placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder, “Gaius, listen to me, my boy. Do you remember what you told me?”

  Gaius looked up. His eyes were dry, but red from constant crying. The boy looked so tired. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

  “You told me you wanted to be a blacksmith. That you wanted to make weapons so amazing that even gods would use them,” Emerson said.

  Gaius looked back down at his feet, “But… momma won’t see…”

  “How can she be proud of you if you don’t do anything to make her proud of?” Emerson asked softly, “Listen, she will always be with you and will always watch over you.”

  Gaius looked up teary eyed again. Mister Emer said things like this several times, but this time somehow it was different. He wiped his tears, “She’ll be proud of me?”

  “Of course she will. Now my boy will you help me make dinner?”

  Gaius slowly nodded and got up.

 

  Things were still hard. Gaius would still breakdown and scream and cry, but those moments were becoming less and less. He even left the house and started to play with his friends again, much to their relief. Not long after he returned to helping Emerson in the smith shop. Eventually, life gained a new normallicy. Gaius would help Mister Emer, play with his friends and ran around the fields. Every now and then he’d look at the places his mother enjoyed and felt numb inside, but being numb was better that pain.


End file.
